Active Retirement Association (ARA)

About the ARA

daisy Seacoast residents can enjoy programs offered by the Active Retirement Association (ARA) an outreach of the University of New Hampshire. Daytime educational, cultural social and physical activities and four cultural day tours are offered.

The annual membership fee is $50 (non-refundable) and includes lecture series, discussion groups, interest sessions and health related activities for eight weeks fall 2009 and eight weeks in the spring of 2010. Each lecture series meets one time a week for four weeks.

For further information and to obtain registration form, contact Ben Getchell at (603)397-5046.

 

How to Contact the ARA

By mail: P.O. Box 421 Durham, N..H., 03824

Website: www.learn.unh.edu/ara

  • President
    Margery Clark, 603-868-5046
  • Vice President
    James E. Hellen, 603-397-5011
  • Secretary
    Gail Stewart, 603-868-5891
  • Treasurer
    Tom Tatarczuch, 603-868-5515
  • Audio-Visual
    Carl Golden, 603-942-8523
  • Facilities
    John McDonough 207-748-3125
  • Hospitality
    Gail Weiland, 603-868-5060
  • Membership
    Ben Getchell, 603-397-5046
  • Memorial Fund
    Tom Tatarczuch, 603-868-5515
  • Program
    Art Meyer, 207-439-2698
  • Publications
    Judy Getchell, 603-397-5046
  • Public Relations
    Beverly Johnson, 603-868-1087
  • Cultural Tours
    Gayle Hylen, 603-659-2422

 

Program Notes

MORNING PROGRAMS ARE SCHEDULED FROM 9:30 A.M. TO 11:00 A.M. AND AFTERNOON PROGRAMS FROM 1:30 P.M. TO 3:00 P.M., UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.
Program registration forms are included with the mailing of this schedule. Directions to all ARA program sites, along with a program schedule summary, will be featured in the February Newsletter.
An asterisk following a speaker's name in the course listings indicates the person is a member of ARA and receives no remuneration..

Program Offerings, Spring 2010

PROGRAM NOTES
February 15 MondayGeneral Meeting
February 22MondayTerm C begins
March 19FridayTerm C ends
March 29MondayTerm D begins
April 23FridayTerm D ends
May 3MondayAnnual Meeting and Luncheon
Event Date/Location Event Name/Details
Monday, February 15,
1:30 p.m.
Durham Evangelical Church, Durham
General Meeting
Program: The Peace Corps Yesterday and Today. Our speaker is Ed Dalton, New Hampshire Peace Corps representative, who will talk about Peace Corps history, share stories/happenings regarding the Peace Corps in foreign countries and show interviews with Peace Corps volunteers in their country of service. As a special treat, a recently returned Peace Corp volunteer will be present to share stories and answer questions.
Monday, May 3,
 
 
Annual Meeting and Spring Luncheon
Details and reservation forms will be mailed March 24.
Tuesdays and Thursdays,
January 19-February11,
7:30 to 8:15 A.M.
Durham Parks and Recreation Center Activities Room
2 Dover Road, Durham
Holiday Break Physical Fitness

Leader: Jenn Merriam, Certified Aerobics Instructor. The instructor is volunteering her time. For additional information, contact Marie Conlon (603-868-5645).

This is prior to Term C

Please remember to wear your membership badge to all ARA events.
Cultural Tours

Four varied Cultural Tours are planned for the spring. Please mark your calendars now. They are: Wednesday, March 3, The New England Aquarium, Boston, MA which includes an IMAX Theater presentation with lunch at the Harborside Café located within the Aquarium, and an optional “behind-the scenes” tour; Sunday, March 28, Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”, 3 PM matinee, at The Hanover Theater, Worcester, MA, with brunch buffet at Maxwell Silverman’s, Worcester; Tuesday, April 27, “The Hall” museum at Patriot Place, Foxborough, MA, with lunch on your own at CBS Scene or restaurant of your choice; and Wednesday, May 19, Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA, lunch at Longfellow’s Wayside Inn, Sudbury, MA, with a tour of the Inn’s historical site in the afternoon. On the way home, everyone will be in for a surprise stop!
Detailed information for these tours will be mailed in early February for members to make their reservations.
TERM C - February 22 - March 19
Mondays
10:45 A.M. to 12:15 A.M.
Franklin Pierce University
73 Corporate Drive
Pease International Tradeport
Great Decisions
Great Decisions, published by the Foreign Policy Association, is a briefing book for a program of informal discussion groups on the various and changing relationships that foreign countries have with the U.S. In-depth essays by experts on each nation or crucial problem that our country must deal with, present information not available in most other news magazines. Group members have an opportunity to participate in a national opinion poll by filling out the forms at the end of each chapter, and at term’s end, by mailing them in the envelope provided in the briefing book.
This program continues in Term D. The cost of the book, which covers Terms C and D, is $15.25. Be sure to confirm by Sunday, January 31, that you want to order a book, even if you signed up for the discussions at the end of Term B. Please call or e-mail Mary Roberge (see above information). Briefing books will be available for pick-up at the Feb. 15 General Meeting (exact cash or check please) or at the first discussion meeting, Feb. 22. A registration form is included with this program schedule.

February 22Special Envoys
March 1Kenya and R2P
March 8Global Crime
March 15U.S. China Security Relations
Mondays P.M.
Durham Community Church, Durham.
A Single and a Three Part Series


February 22Jailhouse Gang (aka The Writers Group) Escapes! Still At Large and Considered Dangerous. You are invited to discover the pleasures of “The Jailhouse Experience” by observation and/or participation (your choice). Bring your paper and pencil. The Writers Group, led by Nancy Salka, will conduct one of its regular work sessions followed by readings from the memoirs they have been writing. Expect a fun filled, richly rewarding experience.
March 1

Prisons, part 1. The Consolations of Going Back to Prison: What ‘Revolving Door' Prisoners Think of Their Prospects. Amanda Howerton, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice, Salem State College.

March 8Prisons, part 2. The Future of Corrections. William L. Wrenn, Commissioner, NH Department of Corrections.
March 15Prisons, part 3. A Historical Perspective: Prisons in the novels of Charles Dickens and in 19th Century England and the U. S. In many of his books, Dickens created characters who were prisoners: innocents, as in Little Dorrit; or real criminals, like Magwitch in Great Expectations. Dickens had a deep interest in crime and punishment, and visited several prisons in the U.S., including The Tombs, in NYC, infamous for its dungeon-like setting and harsh conditions. Mary Roberge*, U.Mass-Boston, ARA member.
Tuesday and Thursday
7:30 A.M to 8:15 A.M
Durham Community Church, Durham NH
Physical Fitness
Jennifer E. Merriam, a Certified Aerobics Instructor, will lead this program designed to improve flexibility, endurance and vitality of participants.
Wednesday A.M.
Durham Community Church, Durham NH
A Close-Up View of Different Cultures Meeting Common Needs: the Inuit and People of Tibet, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Working for change by taking practical steps in areas of poverty, education, health, human rights and gender disparities: Helga Spande will present DVDs she has produced to introduce the peoples and cultures of the Inuit and of Tibet. Speakers from Pakistan and Afghanistan will describe their life and work with Barakat, a nonprofit committed to assisting communities in effecting change to shape their own future.
February 24 Explore, Discover, Experience and Live in the Arctic. View the life and culture of the Inuit people and their astonishing surroundings, the Canadian Arctic. Helga Spande, Founder and Director of Freedom ONE, Inc., Newmarket, NH.
March 3 In the Spirit of Tibet. Learn of life as it unfolds while living and teaching among the wondrous and spirited people of Tibet. Helga Spande.
March 10 Pakistan. Current happenings have been of concern for the people of Pakistan and the world community. The challenges are enormous, but there is work for positive change. SherBaz Ali Khan, Barakat Marketing Coordinator, originally from Pakistan.
March 17Afghanistan from 2001 to the Present. Human rights and the current social-political situation in Afghanistan are put in context with a brief historical analysis of the past 30 years. Mariam Rabiq, Barakat Outreach Director, originally from Afghanistan.
Wednesday P.M.
Durham Police Station, Durham NH
Jailhouse Gang aka The Writing Group
Aspiring writers share memoirs. Don’t be shy—put your pen to the paper and have a good time.
Thursday A.M.
The Inn at Spruce Wood, Durham
New Issues in Old Europe.
This three part series will explore the dynamics of the European Union and how “Old Europe” member countries have been adapting to an enlarged EU since the end of the Cold War. We will begin with a historical overview, consider the changes to the institutional structures of the EU and explore implications for U. S. foreign policy, international security and international political economy.
February 25 Overview of the European Union. Kirk Buckman, Assistant Professor in the Franklin Pierce University Doctor of Arts Program, and Adjunct Professor, Political Science Department, UNH.
March 4Domestic Issues in European Integration. Kirk Buckman.
March 11 EU-US Relations. Kirk Buckman.
Thursday P.M
March 11 Only
The Inn at Spruce Wood, Durham
ARA Focus Group: An Invitation from Your Board of Directors to ALL MEMBERS
Please join us for refreshments and a pleasant afternoon of sharing and getting acquainted or re-reacquainted as the case may be. We want to know your questions (“What did you always want to know about the ARA but were afraid to ask?”), AND your ideas, concerns and suggestions. This is an opportunity for YOU to let us know your thoughts on policies, programs, budget, and facilities (did you know we pay nominal fees for some facilities and none for others?). And, this is an opportunity for the Board to answer your questions and share its concerns and challenges. The Board is made up of regular members who have agreed to take on some responsibilities for a term or two. We do it because we think the ARA is the best thing since sliced bread.
There is great value to this type of enterprise. As an example: this fall one of our programs unexpectedly had no speaker. One of our attendees suggested we take the opportunity to introduce ourselves to each other and share some ideas re: ARA. Chit chat turned to brain storming, and a significant idea came out of that session. Baring any unforeseen obstacles, we expect to put that change in place starting in the Fall of 2010.
Program leaders and further details for today’s program will be announced at the Feb. 15, General Meeting and in the February Newsletter.
Friday, A.M.
10 A.M. to 11 A.M.
Durham Recreation Center Activity Room
2 Dover Road, Durham.
Fit and Fall Proof
Use a stability ball (your own) to increase core strength, flexibility, balance, mobility and eye-hand coordination, with the goal of preventing falls. Class is limited to ten participants. Program led by Pamela Faltin, Fitness Trainer with Stability Ball Certification, AFPA. The enclosed Registration Form should be mailed in by January 26.
Friday, P.M.
The Inn at Spruce Wood, Durham
Watercolor Workshop
This is a self-directed workshop for the experienced watercolorist and the neophyte. The main criterion is interest. Bring your paints, brushes, paper and a photo of something you’d like to paint. Doris Rice, noted local artist, will be advising for the first session on February 26.
Term D - March 29 - April 23
Monday, A.M.
10:45 A.M. to 12:15 P.M.
Franklin Pierce University
73 Corporate Drive
Pease International Tradeport
Great Decisions
Continuation of program from Term C, using the Great Decisions briefing book.
March 29 Global Financial Crisis
April 5 Russia and its Neighbors
April 12 The Persian Gulf
April 19Peace-building and Conflict Resolution
Monday, P.M.
The Inn at Spruce Wood, Durham
Aspects of Local History: “Ya Gotta Love It!”
Local historians share their passions.
March 29 Odiorne! From David Thomson’s daring proposition, through 400 years of the changing human use of 130 acres of natural resources. Wendy Lull, President of the Seacoast Science Center.
April 5 Levi Woodbury-The Man Who Died Too Soon to Become President. John P. McGee, Portsmouth Attorney, passionate local historian, and author.
April 12 The Reinvention of Berlin, NH. Chris Colocousis, Ph.D. Candidate and Research Assistant, Carsey Institute, UNH.
April 19The Isles of Shoals Through Time. Anne Beattie, Marine Educator, President of Shoals Historical & Research Association, speaks of her fascination for the Isles and of their remarkable history.
Tuesday and Thursday
7:30 A.M. to 8:15 A.M.
Durham Community Church, Durham
Physical Fitness
Continuation of program from Term C.
Tuesday P.M.
Durham Police Station, Durham
The Jailhouse Gang aks The Writing Group
Continuation of program from Term C.
Wednesday A.M.
The Inn at Spruce Wood, Durham
Gardening! Gardening! Gardening!
March 31 Diversity and Winter Damage in Rhododendrons. Sam Hagner*, our own ARA rhododendron “(fan)-atic”, with Jim Rivet, horticulturalist and owner of a local landscaping company.
April 7 How Does Your Garden Grow? The Effect of Weather on Your Plants and Veggies. Bob Burnett-Kurie*, meteorologist and TV weather personality.
April 14 Invasive Aquatic and Terrestrial Plants in the Northeast: A Gathering Threat. Barre Hellquist, Professor of Biology (retired), Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, North Adams, MA.
April 21Gardening for the Rickety. Dick Fralick*, Professor of Biology (retired), Plymouth State University.
Wednesday P.M.
Durham Police Station, Durham
Play Reading
Let’s read plays together. It’s informal, it’s unrehearsed, and it’s FUN!
March 31 Steel Magnolias by Robert Harling
April 7 Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen
April 14 Finish Hedda Gabler
April 21The School for Husbands by Moliere
Thursday A.M.
Durham Community Church, Durham
Persistent National & International Issues
April 1 Federal Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Law- Part 1. Review Federal laws prohibiting discrimination and major decisions issued by the Supreme Court and Circuit Courts; learn how sexual harassment, age and disability cases are decided. Bob Hylen*, former Northeast Area Manager, EEO Appeals Processing, US Postal Service.
April 8 Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Law, Part 2. We will discuss actual EEO cases, and then we will compare our analysis of these cases to the decisions reached by the EEOC and the Courts. You may be surprised by the actual outcome. Bob Hylen*
April 15 Waging War-Waging Peace, Part 1. How do we stay secure and at the same time get to peace? Jean Shula*, MAS (Master of Advanced Studies in Peace and Conflict), European Peace University, Austria, and Dr. Wyman E. (Wes) Shuler III*, Col. USMCR (ret.), Special Agent Naval Criminal Investigative Service (ret.).
April 22Waging War-Waging Peace, Part 2. Jean Shula* and Wes Shuler*.
Thursday, 1:30 P.M. Departure
Meet at Durham Evangelical Church parking lot to car pool to our destination.
For cancellations or changes, check your e-mail or call. Contact Ben to get on the walkers’ e-mail list. These coded descriptions may be helpful: Route: T-trail, A-abandoned road, G-graded dirt road, P-paved road; Footing: S-smooth, M-moderately uneven, R-rough; Terrain: L-level, I-moderate incline, St-steep.
April 1 Pierce Island, Portsmouth (1 ½ mi, T/P, S, L/I).
April 8 Wm. H. Champlin Forest Reservation. Rochester, (2 mi., T/A, M, L).
April 15 Madbury Town Hall to Kingman Farm, Madbury (2 ¼ mi., T/A, M/R, L/I).
April 22Longmarsh to Dame Rd. Durham, (2 ½ mi., T/A, M, L/I).
Friday
9:30 A.M. to 11:30 A.M.
Durham Community Church, Durham
At The Bijou: Films from Overseas
April 2 Lillian Gish in Broken Blossoms (1919, 90 min.). Gentle Lillian, living with her abusive father in London’s Limehouse district, is befriended by a young Chinese man.
April 9 Gloria Swanson in Don’t Change Your Husband (1919, 80 min.). Gloria wants out of her marriage with a dullard husband but finds life outside not so grand.
April 16 Thousands in Battleship Potemkin (Russian, 1925, 59 min.) Eisenstein;s depiction of an incident in the failed 1905 Russian Revolution. Contains one of “movie-dom’s” most memorable sequences on Odessa’s stepts.
April 23Harold Lloyd in Girl Shy (1924, 82 min.). Ultra shy Harold, writer of a manual on how to entice women, meets a girl. Great chase sequence.
Friday P.M.
The Inn at Spruce Wood, Durham
Watercolor Workshop
Continuation of program from Term C. Doris Rice is scheduled for the second session on April 9.

 

Membership

Membership in the Association is open to individuals who reside in the area. Total retirement is not necessary for enrollment, as many members still hold full- or part-time positions. Currently the ARA has over 300 members representing 34 towns in New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts.

Membership dues of $50 are for the year which runs from July 1, 2009 to June 20, 2010. Individuals may join at any time, but there is no reduction for a partial-year membership.

Click here for a membership form

Additional information about the ARA may be obtained by reading further on this site or:
By Mail: P.O. Box 421, Durham, NH 03824-0421
Ben Getchell By Phone: 603-397-5046

 

First Week Free

daisy To make more potential members aware of the ARA and its wide variety of interesting programs, a "first-week-free" policy applies in September at the beginning of the fall offerings, and again in March at the start of the spring semester. Members are encouraged to bring friends, and other non-members are also welcome to attend and participate.

 

Guest Policy

Members may bring guests at times other than the “first weeks free” opportunities for a fee of $2 per guest. However, local guests may attend only one program session in each term. Guest fees should be paid to the ARA member in charge of the program.

 

UNH Library Privileges

Members of ARA can take advantage of the University of New Hampshire libraries, which house more than a million books, periodicals, and recordings. The main library, Dimond Library, is located on the UNH campus just behind Thompson Hall. To receive a library card which will be valid throughout the current membership year, show your current ARA membership badge at the Main Desk.

 

Weather Cancellations

Program sessions will be cancelled if the Oyster River School District cancels school. Members should listen either to radio station WTSN, 1270 AM, Dover; WHEB, 750 AM, 100.3 FM, Portsmouth; or WMYF, 1380 AM, Portsmouth; or turn to WMUR Channel 9 for school cancellation announcements.

 

Program Disclaimer

daisy The Active Retirement Association seeks to provide programs that are intellectually stimulating and create opportunities for members to broaden their scope of interests. Programs of a controversial nature may be presented on occasion, but ARA does not endorse the viewpoints or opinions of its lecturers, nor does use of a facility constitute ARA endorsement of the beliefs or policies of that facility. ARA is not affiliated with any political, religious, ethnic, or special interest group.

 

Check This Out!

For information on other organizations and programs which might be of interest to you, check out the UNH Continuing Education Home Page

 

Directions to ARA Program Sites

The Durham Evangelical Church and the Durham Police Station are on Route 108 between Durham and Dover. Please use the lower parking lot at the church.

St. George's Episcopal Church and the Community Church of Durham are on Main Street, Durham, between the traffic light on Route 108 and the downtown area. Parking is available in the back of St. George's and across the street at the Community Church. Use the lower parking lot at the Community Church for access to the Activity Room.

The Dover Indoor Pool, which is on that part of Washington Street that begins the loop around the Cocheco Mills off Central Avenue, is part of the Henry Law Park complex. From the south take Central Avenue (Route 108) to the light at Washington Street and then a very hard right onto Henry Law Avenue to the first left into the parking lot area alongside the Cocheco River. The pool entrance is visible. From the north take Central Avenue (Route 108) through downtown Dover to Washington Street, bearing slightly to your left at the intersection. At the light go through onto Henry Law Avenue and into the parking lot as noted above.

The Inn at Spruce Wood is on Worthen Road off Mill Road in Durham. Follow the directions to St. George's Episcopal Church. Go past the Church, bear right at the Post Office, and almost immediately onto Pettee Brook Lane. At the end you will see UNH buildings. Turn left onto Main Street and take your first right onto Mill Road. Follow it for approximately two miles and Worthen Road will be on your right. Follow Worthen Road until it ends.

Southern New Hampshire University, Seacoast: Pease International Tradeport, 231 Corporate Drive, Suite 100, Portsmouth, N.H. 03801

Durham Police Station: Route 108, Durham, N.H.

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